The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-08-12
FOR THE BULLETIN,
Mr.. Editor:

Il U1G Il II = II u LIE 4 1 II >
Mr.. Editor:
In my article last week l attempt
ed to call attention of cur people to
the grave importance Of the constltu-
tional amendment that is soon to be
voted upon. And to urge the
Importance Of consid ering and act
Jig upon the true merits or dement's
Of tie amendment and decide for
themselves as reasonable men and
good citizens, whether it has any
merits or advantage over and above
the present license system which it
proposes 20 supercede. And after
calm reflection | think YOU Will come
TO the same conclusion about it that
l have, that it is an i'll advised, wild
and visionary experiment, pOweriess
tor good but full OF harm. In fact
I think it IS bad policy to be cuntin>
ually changing the fundamental law
of the state tor imaginary and tram
Gent causes to suit the whims OF de-
signing men, and | have not been IN
good humor with constitutional
amendments since the days Of re.
construction.
But our prohibition friends seems
determined to fight it out on the line
of infamatory and understandable
abuse OtwhIskey, drunkenness, and
dissipation II it takes all sum uer.
Though it seems to me that we bad
better have little method IN our
madness and admit that whisHey
in Itself is harmless as any other
con modify if left alone; and 1t is
only occasional that man in a
thousand becomes so lost to all the
considerations Of manliness as to
make a hog wallOw dIunkard of
himself, and neglect Fis wife and
little bare footed children that our
temperance friends talk so fippant-
Iy about. My idea is that we should
hold on to all the sovrces OF revenue
we have, and create as many more
as we can for the purposes OF educa>
| ting. Educate the little baref0oted
chaps. This is the best prohibition
amendment that can ever be passed
for them, and leave the drunken
dissipated father alone to work out
his own reformation by the force OF
his own Tree viii that was placed in
him by nature.
Yes, let him reform as did the
great priest OF prohibition, the Rev.
Sam Jones. lie tells us that he pick
Ell himself up out Of the hog walIows
/ of drunkenness some where over in
| Georgia and staggered off home TO
his wife and told hel: "Nancy have
quit. [ have determined in my own
mind to reform, and drink no more
whiskey." And it seems that Bro.
Jones has stuck up to that good re-
solve and I honor him for it.
And | submit that his IS the way
reformation must come, If it ever
comes.
Abuse, my friend, is no remedy
! for any thing, it never reformed q
drunkard, or feed a hungry woman
or shod one of your poor little bare
footed children, We can call tn
mind hundreds OF men who like
Bro Jones reformed of their own free
will and accord. But the memory
| of man runneth not back TO the
! time when q drunkard was re-
formed by law or constitutional
amendment. And certainly Bro.
Jones nor any of our Tennessee
| friends who have reformed are in~
debted to prohibition for then re-
formation, for there was no such
thing in Georgia OF Tennessee when
it occurred. But still these ground
less charges continue to be offered
to us as sound and Legitimate argu-
ments.
Lis now charged that whiskeY
controls our elections. True at one
time In Tennessee, it was customary
for aspirants to office to treat their
friends and probably sometimes
with a hope OF influencing their
votes. But the license law come.
in aud forbids that, and makes it a
penal offence to Cfer to bride d vo-
ter with whiskey or anything else
and makes it q penalty for voter
to sell his vote for whIskey or any
Thug else; ard as a further check
the law requires the saloon keeper
to close his shop on election days.
80 that if you want TO keep the hal
lot box free from the influence OF
wniskey, enforce the license laws as
they are, and not undertake \ lie y
and doubtful experiment. Ana il
is also charged that it corruprs ouI
courts. This Is certainly very
grave and groundless charge, tOi
| II Tennessee IS famous for anything
it is for ner pure anu undefiled JUDI
ciary. Men Of high II oral int grl'
ty and ability, and above the sus'
picion Of being brbed by @hlskey
money or anything else; and ii seems
to me that little sober reflection
would be sufficient to cause those
Mbo make such charges to Withdraw
them and blush that they had ever
made them.
And it is also charged that it de,
bauches our legislators. This l be
ieve to be all groundless for it ha.
been my good fortune or mislortun,
to have had some little experience
n Tennessee legislation, and IN my
Z iexBerIence Of several sessions i ne}
t---.- -t+ +lIrna men WIN, ,rera #.